The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1887-05-06

Aunt Betsey broke from her grasp.
and said: II must attend to this boy.
Are the rooms ready?"
Isl. signora; ALA realty" and going
to the door, the padrona shriekcd can
gelica!"
While we waited my aunt questioned
her young attendant. who chung to the
remaining bag as if therein was his
only security for his pay.
He bore my aunt's Italian without
flinching; and listened to the padrona' 8
English with admiring attention: Twas
compelled to find pretext for turning
my back. in order to hide series of ir-
repress;ble grins.
We discovered that his name was
Filippo; that he had mother and Il
step-father; also baby sister, who
look d like an angel in Il picture. His
stepfather. who was scrittOrc, or
public writer. never did any work. and
beat him. and he hoped he would die
of apopleNy. The padrona demonstrate
cd. and Aunt Betsy was so shocked
that she forgot every word Of Italian
she knew. and exhorted him earnestly
in English. 1t was all without effect;
his black eyes flashed. and he repeated
the remark with emphasis.
Angelica finally appearing, my aunt
gave Filirpo ten cents ard dismissed
him; he looked at the dirty bit of pa
per increduously, and asked the pa
drona if it was real. She sad it was,
and great deal too much for him.
looking at Aunt Betsey reproachful!y
as she said il, for she discountenanccd
extravaganza.
The next day she raised the rent.
Three weeks later we met FilippO
again. We were walking. guide-book
in hand, through the interminablc net
work of narrow streets in the neightOr-
hood of the tomb of Augusta-it is
now used as thcater-and aunt Bet
sey was delivering a homily on the
vanity of human greatness. when we
suddenly stumbled on our little friend
at his place of business.
He had torn a gaudy theater-poster
from the wall. and had arranged there
on two rows of cigar-stumps. He rec
ognized us Immediately. and rose when
we stopped. bowling with cOurtly po-
| likeness.
We asked him how the baby was. and
then inquired after the health of his
stcp-fathcr Not muscle of his face
quivered. but mischief looked from his
eyes. as he raised his little brown
thumb and pointed over his shoulder
at tai. handsome young fellow. who
was loungirg against the wall near by.
and regarding us with avaricious Curl
os'ty.
In low voice, Filippo told us that
his worthless relative had taken the ten
soldi we had paid him. and pounded
him into the bargain for objecting.
IF the signora would make me a
present." said the little rascal. twink
ling. manage to shove it under the
paper. for he is watching u.s."
They think we are made of money!"
said Aunt Bctsey to me. "but he is such
a cute little chap''-and she slipped a
sopper coin under the paper as she
stopped down. under pretence of exam
ing his stock-in-trade.
Before we reached the corner, we
heard an angry. childish treble and a
shrek. and looking back. saw poor
Filippo picking up his cigar-ends from
the gutter. while his step-father impu-
IDENTIFY held up the coin for us to see.
II would like to thump him. said
Aunt Betscy, Indignantly.
That evening we were surprised with
4 call from the dealer in stumps, and
still further surprised by his requesting
us to reimburse him for the loss sus-
tanned by his stcp-father's theft, whose
bones he hoped the ravens would pick.
After expressing to me her opinions
of Italians in general, and Filippo in
particular. in good Vermont vernacu-
lar Aunt Betsey yielded to the pathetic
anxiety in his black eyes, and granted
his naive request.
/, He came often after that, no doubt
with the hope of charming imprisoned
soldi from our purses to his pocket, al
though l think Aunt Betsey's weird
Ital . n had also fascination for him.
He certainly had fascination for us.
| When he failed to appear for day or
two. we sought him. under prctext OF
visiting an old curiosity shop in the
same street.
We grew fond of him; he made a
oasis of human interest for us in the
desert of that crowded city,-and such
a sad old city!-wherc VIC were such
total strangers.
One day we called at the stump-de-
pot, but the establishment was closed,
and Filippo not to be found. To our
anxious inquiries among group OF
children, mon SOL" was the only re-
ply.
We returned again and again, and
looked for him in all sorts of by places.
until at last our fidelity was rewarded.
In the church at St. Carlo we sat listen
ing to the music, when called Aunt
Betsy's attention to a man bowling be-
fore the altar until his forehead touch
ed thc floor, praying. crossing himself
with the most rapt piety. l thought
had never seen more devout wor-
shipper. When he raised his handsome
face. and we recognized Filippo's step
father. we restrained ourselves with
difficulty from pouncing upon him in
the midst of his deyotions, and demand
ing the whereabouts of ourpet. When